There’s nothing I like more on a summer’s day to walk barefoot on my lawn – not only does it feel nice to feel the grass and daisies between my toes, but it’s said to be good for wellbeing, too. Walking (or lying) on grass (or sand, mud, soil or rock) is said to promote ‘grounding’, or ‘earthing’. Direct physical contact with the earth can reconnect our bodies to the planet’s negative electrical charge, balancing the excess of positive ions in our bodies that come from modern living.
This all sounds a little woo-woo, but a decade of research into grounding suggests that there is something in this. It’s claimed that the benefits of grounding could include decreased inflammation and pain, reduced stress and improved sleep and circulation.
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I’ve no idea, really, if grounding helps me, but it’s part of an arsenal of practices that I use following a bout of ill health a few years ago. In the UK climate, opportunities for walking barefoot on grass are few and far between, however – and this soggy summer has been particularly disappointing in that respect. So I was interested to try out the new Pilgrim boot from Vivobarefoot, which features unique conductive technology to aid grounding.
All Vivobarefoot footwear is wide, thin and flexible, and designed to be as close to walking barefoot as possible. The new Pilgrim boot goes one step further – it has three conductive layers underfoot (a rubber outsole for stability and initial contact, a thin silver webbing for optimal conductive contact, and a leather strobel layer stitched with silver thread) to create a pathway for electrons to flow between the body and the earth's surface.
This was my first time wearing Vivobarefoot shoes, and they took some getting used to. For starters, they’re a rather glaring orange leather and have a very wide toe area, which looks a bit ‘circus performer’. Not surprisingly, the first time I wore the boots, it really did feel like there was very little between my feet and the ground. While this didn’t feel unpleasant, it didn’t feel particularly pleasant either, especially when walking in the parts of the garden that aren’t grass.
I initially tried wearing the boots without socks but found that they were rubbing my ankles, so I swiftly put on some thin socks (the boots can be worn with or without socks made from natural fibres). I spent a few hours in the garden that day, feeling a bit irritated by the lack of comfort, and then – very unusually for me – slept like a log that night.
A few weeks on, I’m now addicted to the boots. I’ve been wearing them not only in the garden but on country walks, and I’ve road tested them on long, stony walks in deepest France. I love the connection to the ground beneath my feet - I can feel every clump of grass, tree root and stone, and the different textures of earth. It adds another dimension to my time outside, making me more mindful of the world around me. My regular shoes now feel odd by comparison.
Some people can feel when they’re grounded, but I’m not sure that I can. While there’s no substitute for the delicious feeling of walking barefoot on a lawn, I’ll be sticking with my Pilgrims when I’m gardening (and walking). If I can improve my wellbeing every time I go outside without even trying, then why not?
Buy Women's Vivobarefoot Pilgrim boots from Vivobarefoot (£180.00)
Buy Men's Vivobarefoot Pilgrim boots from Vivobarefoot (£180.00)